be among you a Poor Man of one of thy Brethren within any of thy Gates in thy Land which the Lord thy God giveth thee thou shalt not harden thy Heart nor shut thine Hand from thy poor Brother 8th But thou shalt open thine Hand wide unto him and shalt surely lend him sufficient for his need in that which he wanteth 9th Beware that there be not a thought in thy wicked Heart saying The seventh Year the Year of Release is at hand and thine Eye be Evil against thy poor Brother and thou givest him nought and he cry unto the Lord against thee and it be Sin unto thee 10th Thou shalt surely give him and thine Heart shall not be grieved when thou givest unto him because that for this thing the Lord thy God shall Bless thee in all thy works and in all that thou puttest thine Hand unto 11th For the Poor shall never cease out of the Land therefore I command thee saying Thou shalt open thine Hand wide unto thy Brother to thy Poor and to thy Needy in the Land 2 Cor. 9.6 to the end of the Chapter The 6th But this I say He which Soweth Sparingly shall Reap Sparingly and he which Soweth Bountifully shall Reap Bountifvlly The 7th Every man according as he purposeth in his Heart so let him give not grudgingly or of necessity for God loveth a Chearful giver 8th And God is able to make all Grace abound towards you that ye always having all sufficiency in all things may abound to every good work 9th As it is written He hath dispersed abroad he hath given to the poor his Righteousness remaineth for ever Isa 58. from the 1 to the 12 Verse The 6th Is not this the Fast that I have chosen to loose the Bands of Wickedness to undo the heavy Burdens and to let the Oppressed go free and that ye break every Yoke 7th Is it not to deal thy Bread to the Hungry and that thou bring the Poor that are cast out to thy House when thou seest the Naked that thou cover him and that thou hide not thy self from thine own Flesh 8th Then shall thy Light break forth as the morning and thy Health shall spring forth speedily and thy Righteousness shall go before thee the Glory of the Lord shall be thy rereward 9th Then shalt thou call and the Lord shall answer thou shalt cry and he shall say here am I if thou take away from the midst of thee the Yoke the putting forth of the Finger and speaking Vanity 10th And if thou draw out thy Soul to the Hungry and satisfy the Afflicted Soul then shall thy Light rise in obscurity and thy Darkness be as the Noon-day 11th And the Lord shall Guide thee continually and satisfy thy Soul in Drought and make Fat thy Bones and thou shalt be like a Watered Garden and like a Spring of Water whose Waters fail not Matt. 5.42 Give to him that asketh thee and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away Luke 6.27 to the 38. Verse the 24. And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive what thank have ye for Sinners also lend to Sinners to receive as much again 25th But love ye your Enemies and do good and lend hoping for nothing again and your reward shall be great and ye shall be the Children of the Highest for he is kind unto the Vnthankful and to the Evil. Now for that which you Lend or Trust so long as you hope or expect to receive of your Debtor so much again what thank have ye This is not given Then God hath not promised to pay this again but your poor Debtors Bill or Bond who is not able to pay you may be all that you may have to trust to for your Security of being paid again but if you lend unto such as are poor and are in want and at that time do not expect that you shall receive it of them again and afterwards because they are poor discharge them and make it known to them that you hope for nothing again from them then this is given unto the poor and your reward shall be greaâ—t Luke 6.32,33,34 For if you love them which love you and if you do good to them which do good to you and if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive what thank have ye For Sinners also do even the same Now these tbings may be found in those that are Unconverted But for a Man to love his Enemies and do good and lend hoping for nothing again for a man discharging his poor Debtors and to take Gods Word and Promise for his Security These things are counted foolishness with Carnal and Natural Men Rom. 8.7 1 Cor. 2.14 But for those that are obedient to Gods Word and do thus it is a sign that God hath wrought Grace in their Hearts and hath made them his Children and that such good Works as these are the Fruits and Effects of that Grace Faith and Love that God hath wrought in their Hearts and these Fruits appearing in their Lives and Conversations therefore saith Christ in Luke 6.35,43,44,45,46 35th But love ye your Enemies and do good and lend hoping for nothing again and your reward shall be great and ye shall be the Children of the Highest for he is kind unto the Vnthankâ—ful and to the Evil. 43d For a good Tree bringeth not forth corrupt Fruit neither doth a corrupt Tree bring forth good Fruit. 44th For every Tree is known by its own Fruit for of Thorns men do not gather Figgs nor of a Bramble-bush gather they Grapes 45th A good man out of the good Treasure of his Heart bringeth forth that which is good and an evil man out of the evil Treasure of his Heart bringeth forth that which is evil for of the abundance of the Heart his Mouth speaketh 46th And why call ye me Lord Lord and do not the things which I say Now when you have trusted or lent unto them that you might think that they was of Ability to pay you again but afterwards you find them poor and not able to pay you now if you should discharge them then have you given to the poor so much as was due to you then may you by Faith lay hold on those Promises that are made to those that give unto the Poor then you may take Gods Word and Promise for your Security Prov. 19.17 He that hath pity upon the Poor lendeth unto the Lord and that which he hath given will he pay him again Now which do you think to be the best Security Gods Word and Promise or your Poor Debtors Bill or Bond who is not able to pay you judge you Luke 6.38 Give and it shall be given unto you good measure pressed down and shaken together and running over shall men give into your Bosome for with the same measure that ye meet withal it shall be measured to you again 2 Cor. 8.11,12 Now therefore perform the
Advice To CREDITORS Or a Safe and Sure way To Secure Bad Debts Such Debts as the Debtors are Poor and are not Able to Pay them and that without Wronging or Prejudicing the Poor Debtors And showing how to Lend so as not to miss of being Paid again By one who is a Lover of Christianity Heb. 10.24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto Love and to Good Works Prov. 31.8 Open thy Mouth for the Dumb in the cause of all such as are appointed to Destruction Verse 9. Open thy Mouth Judge Righteously and Plead the Cause of the Poor and Needy Licens'd October 1. 1687. HOw shall he that has several Debts owing to him from such Persons that are Poor and have nothing to pay how may the Creditor secure himself so as to be paid and not hurt or prejudice the poor Debtors Answer It is good for the Creditor in such a case to take good and sufficient Security that is able and willing to pay and when he has engaged him to it to look for it and expect to receive it wholly from the Security and not from the first Debtor he being not able to pay it Objection But the Creditor may say I would be glad to take such Security as you speak of and I would do it with all my heart but men that are able are not so willing to engage themselves to pay other mens Debts for them how then can I do thus as you say to be paid Ans First let me ask you this question Do you believe the Scriptures the Old and New Testament to be the Revealed will of God Ans Yes I do for who that professes himself a Christian will deny that Quest 2. And do you believe what is written in the Scriptures to be true and that the promises and threatnings will certainly be performed Ans Yes I do believe this Then pray seriously consider this Scripture in Prov. 19.17 He that hath pity upon the Poor lendeth unto the Lord and that which he hath given will he pay him again Now if you should have so much pity on your poor Debtor that instead of Arresting of him and casting him into Prison and taking the Rigor of the Law against him which you have power to do yet if you should put forth such a Noble Act of Grace and Mercy and Pity to your poor Debtor he being not able to pay you as to give him all that is owing to you and to give him a perfect and full discharge from under your hand and if you do thus have you not then had pity upon the Poor and given him so much as your just Debt was Then for that which you have given to the Poor you may take God for your Security who is able and is willing to pay you and has promised in his word that he will pay you again This promise is made as much to you as if your Name had been particularly therein mentioned if you have had pity upon the Poor and have given to the Poor Then you are one of those that this Promise belongs unto O what Security is here is God willing to be the Poor Mans Security and do you refuse to accept of him alone for your Security so as to freely acquit and discharge your poor Debtor without payment he being not able to pay you Now so long as you do not discharge your poor Debtor of that which he oweth you it is not given unto him because he stands still engag'd to pay it if ever he is able and tho he is not able to pay it yet he is in danger of being Arrested and cast into Prison for it and there to live until the Debt be paid which he may never be able to do so long as he lives And if you should serve your poor Debtor thus that is not able to pay you consider this If you were in his condition would you willingly have another deal so by you Luke 6.31 And as ye would that men should do to you do ye also to them likewise And Mat. 7.12 Therefore all things whatsoever you would that men should do to you do you even so to them for this is the Law and the Prophets Now this is the Law that Christ lays down before men to be observed and obeyed and the not obeying this Law is Sin Now this general Rule ought to be observed both by the Debtor and Creditor the Debtor ought to deal so to his Creditor as he would willingly any Debtor of his at any time should deal so by him his Debtor being in the like condition and the Creditor ought to deal so with his Debtor as he would willingly that any Creditor of his at any time should deal so by him he being in the like condition to his Creditor as his Debtor is to him 1 Tim. 1.8,9,10 the 8 Verse But we know that the Law is good if a Man use it Lawfully Micah 7.8 He hath shewed thee O Man what is good and what doth the Lord require of thee but to do Justly and love Mercy and to walk humbly with thy God God requires this of us To love Mercy Now those that will shew no mercy to their poor Debtors that are not able to pay them let them have a care that they do not shut themselves out from Mercy James 2.13 For he shall have Judgment without Mercy that hath showed no Mercy and Mercy rejoyceth against Judgment Prov. 11.17,18,19,20,21 the 17 V. The Merciful Man doth good to his own Soul but he that is Cruel troubleth his own Flesh Gal. 6.7 Be not deceived God is not mocked for whatsoever a Man Soweth that shall he also Reap Mat. 18.21 to the end of the Chapter V. 21. Then came Peter to him and said Lord how oft shall my Brother Sin against me and I forgive him till seven times 22. Jesus saith unto him I say not unto thee until seven times but until seventy times seven 23. Therefore is the Kingdom of Heaven likened unto a certain King which would take account of his Servants 24. And when he had begun to reckon one was brought unto him which owed him ten thousand Talents 25. But for as much as he had not to pay his Lord commanded him to be sold and his Wife and Children and all that he had and payment to be made 26. The Servant therefore fell down and Worshipped him saying Lord have patience with me and I will pay thee all 27. Then the Lord of that Servant was moved with Compassion and loosed him and forgave him the Debt 29. But the same Servant went out and found one of his Fellow Servants which owed him an hundred Pence and he laid Hands on him and took him by the Throat saying pay me that thou owest 29. And his Fellow Servant fell down at his Feet and be sought him saying Have patience with me and I will pay thee all 30. And he would not but went and cast him into Prison till